More Than a Plea for a Declaration of Rights. George Mason of Virginia

2019. ISBN-13: 9781616196318. ISBN-10: 1616196319. Vile, John R. More Than a Plea for a Declaration of Rights: The Constitutional and Political Thought of George Mason of Virginia. xxi, 271 pp. Clark, New Jersey: Talbot Publishing (an imprint of The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd.), 2019. ISBN-13: 9781616196318. ISBN-10: 1616196319. Hardcover. New. $75. * George Mason [1925-1792] is remembered as the father of the Bill of Rights and for his unwillingness to sign the U.S. Constitution. Here John R. Vile examines Mason's political philosophy and writings that have influenced American political thought. Chief of these is the Virginia Declaration of Rights which served as a basis for the United States Bill of Rights. "John R. Vile revivifies a neglected Founding Father, the curmudgeonly George Mason whose Virginia Declaration of Rights is one of the seminal documents of the Republic. More a biography of Mason's constitutional and political thought than of the man, the book analyzes the sweep of his thinking about resisting tyranny, drafting the Declaration and the first Virginia constitution, framing the U.S. Constitution, opposing its ratification, and the need for the citizenry to be ever vigilant against attempted subversions of their liberties." -- Warren M. Billings, University of New Orleans "Although he was one of revolutionary Virginia's most influential public figures, George Mason has often been forgotten. Fortunately, John Vile has helped to remedy that neglect with . the most systematic survey of his speeches and political writings to date. Fair minded, thoroughly researched, and clearly written, Vile's new book should benefit both students and scholars." -- Jeff Broadwater, Professor Emeritus of History, Barton College "George Mason's ideas and influence were pivotal to the development of American constitutionalism. In this thoughtful volume, John R. Vile argues that Mason's contributions and commitments stretched far beyond his well-known insistence on a Bill of Rights. In the process, Vile makes Mason's political thought and key writings profoundly accessible to students and scholars alike." -- Jessica K. Lowe, University of Virginia School of Law John R. Vile (Ph.D., UVA) is Dean of the Honors College at Middle Tennessee State University. He is the author of The Declaration of Independence: America's First Founding Document in U.S. History and Culture (2019), A.